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Cozyzight, 1909, by David 0. cook Publishing Company.
Yon. vm. No. 11.;1;g;;';g;1m
DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING C0., Emnv, ILLINOIS, AND 36 Wnsurivoron Sr., Cmcneo.
March 13, 1909.
“ II, AUNTIE, I ,can't stand it!
(‘ Fred and Carrie Brown have been
teasing me awfully. They got a
lot of the children together and sang. as
loud as they could scream, ‘ Sophia Maria,
you set my heart on tire!’ One can't be
any sort o(a girl and have such a name!”
'Aunt Mary was frying doughnuts. Lift-
ing :1 skimmer of the richly-browned, spicy
twists, she looked kindly at the burning
cheeks and tearful eyes of the little girl.
“ It is too bad, girlie. Your name is
unfortunate, but we can't seem to help it
now." -
“ Why didn't you change it when I came
to live with you, auntie?"
“ You were such a baby, dear. I never
dreamed how you would feel. And we
thought ‘Sophy’ was a kind of cute little
name. Besides, your grandmothers were
both living then. Sophia Linnell, your
mother's mother, said she had the first say,
and you must be ‘ Sophia ’ : and Maria Kim-
ball, your father’s mother, said it must be
‘Maria.’ Shelwas awfully hurt that it
wasn't ‘Maria Sophia.‘ Take a fresh
doughnut, dear, and try not to mind.”
“ I can’t. auntie," replied the child.
“ Nobody knows what it is to have a name
she hates. I am always thinking of pretty
ones, and wishing they were mine. ‘ Sophia
M. Kimball '-was all right; but ever since
Miss Macdonald made us give our full
names, and calls them out in the roll, I've
had no peace in my -life. Alice Knox said
to-day, ,‘ Every one tries to make a rhyme
on it.’ ”
“ It's too bad, the way they plague you,
honey. I believe I‘ll speak to Miss Mac-
donald about it. Mebby she don't know.”,
“It wouldn’t do any good, auntie,” an-
swered Sophia, sadly. “I saw her smile
oncc herself when she called out ‘Sophia
Maria.’ ” ' .
A few evenings later, as her uncle sat
on the porch smoking, a little hot hand
stole into his.
“ Ain’t you well, chickie?” he questioned,
noting the flushed face and lustcrless eyes
of the child.
“ Uncle John,” she entrentcd, “ isn't
there any rcally way that people can get
their names changed?” '
“‘Vell.” he relicctecl, “I believe they
can get it done by act of legislature. I
used to know a man, Abinadab I-‘oxcroft,
who not his changed to Philip. Then there
was Nehemiah Pillsbury; his was changed
to John. He was second cousin to-”
"The governor owns the lcgislnture,
doesn't be?" interrupted Sophy.
“ Pretty good, honey!" laughed her
uncle. “By the way, Mary,” he called
out. “the overnor came up to Squire
Bell's to-day. Reckon he's worn out again,
and wants a few days‘ rest.”
Sophy sprang up, alert, wide-eyed and
trembling. In a flash a thought had come
to her that might lead out of this wcnry
-trouble growing almost too heavy to be
She would go to the governor and
ask him to chztnge hcr.nnme. Ilow simple
and how entrancing! What Abinadah
I-‘oxcroft and Nehemiah Pillsbury had
done, she would do, and not a soul should
know until it was nccomplishcd. llow won-
derful that such a brilliant hope could fol-
low such despair! -
“ She's a queer child," mused her uncle,
fondly, watching her dance in and out the
maple grove in the ecstasy of new-born joy.
“ Wish she'd liven called ‘ Julia’ for her
ma,” returned his wife. '
“A visitor for me?” questioned the gov-
ernor, rising from the sofa and slcepily
rubbing his eyes. ““’hy, Charlotte, you
promised me absolute immunity from visit-
ors ”
“This one'would not be gainsaid," re-
plied his sister, with twinkling eye, leading
forward it little maiden in a pink gingham
gown, and with earnest, half-scared look.
The governor had a very trader love for
children, and his sister well know she
would be forgiven in this case for ignoring
his stringent plea for privacy.
He put his mind on Sophia‘s head, and
drew her toward him. .
“What is your name, little one?" he
questioned.
“ Sophia Maria Kimball. -There, I was
afraid you'd laugh! Nobody can help it.
I came on purpose to ask you to get your
legislature to change it for me."
The mcrry look sobered, and gravely the
governor asked: “To change it? What
put that idea into your head?"
“ Abinndab Foxcroft and Nehemiah
Pillsbury had theirs done. The children
tease me all the time, and make rhymes
about me-‘ Sophia Maria, your house is
on fire,’ and lots of others."
“Do you mind that very much?”
Sophy looked up quickly. Did the gov-
ernor not know that to be called names,
even when one has no claim to them, is to
suifer an indignity almost beyond the power
of words to express? Oh, yes; his kindly
gaze told of sympathy nnd true interest,
so she continued: “ You would not like to
have ‘Sophia Maria’ for a. name, would
you?"
“Most certainly not," kindly stroking
her soft yellow hair. “Dccidcdly not!”
must help the little lassie in some way.”
“ So you want ‘ my legislature ’ to change
your name? Do you know what a lot of
fuss and red tape you would need to go
through for that?"
“That does not matter,” Sophia Maria
replied eagerly. “I've got seven hundred
dollars in the bank, and two wood-lots in
Vermont. You can put a mortgage on it,
and ‘A good name is rather to be chosen
than great riches.’ ”
“So it is," said the governor. “What
do your parents think of your wish to
change your name?" i
. They've always been
always to me‘-that is,
eleven years.”
“ And who named you ‘ Sophia Maria ’?"
“My grandmothers. But they’rc dead,
too. They won't care. I live with my
uncle. Aunt Mary would be awful glad
for me. to have a good name, but she thinks
it's too late to change."
"Dear little Sophia Maria,” said the
governor, taking her hands in his friendly
grasp. “suppose you and I settle -this
matter ourselves. W's Won't bother the
legislature just yet. You and your guar-
dians are willing. Can you think of a
pretty name you would like to have?"
“Pearl Mildred Violet,” came in such
quick response that it had evidently been
carefully thought out.
“Pearl Mildred Violet,” repeated the
governor. “Now we want a nnme you
will like just as well as when you are tcn
years older. ‘Vhy not have ‘Margaret,’
which means pearl?”
“Oh, no," she answered. “Th:-y‘d say
like thcy do to Maggie Morgan, ‘ I‘:-g, Peg,
with a wooden leg.’ "
“That is a serious objection," returned
the governor, gravely. “‘Vell, Mildred is
beautiful. and Violet just the color of your
eyes. Wouldn't two names satisfy you?”
“Oh, yes, indeed!" cried Sophia Maria
with a radiant look. “They are perfectly
...
Can they rcnlly be mine.’
hoy may and.('nn," answered the gov-
ernor, looking down on the glowing, up-
turned face.
“ Wl1A'l"S roux Nun)?"
The wise and gracious man divincd the
whole situation. Boyhood was not so far
in the past that he had forgotten the long-
enduringsting of schoolmates’ taunts.
“Here is trouble.” he thought, rcading
the pain and soul sorrow in her pleading
eyes; “helpless and deep-seated trouble.
such as only" a child's heart can know. I
“’I‘h:ink you so much, dear, dear gover-
nor! lint-" a shadow crept over her joy,
“ I'm afraid no one will believe it."
“They will if I tr-ll them,” he returned.
“ See that your uncle and aunt are satis-
fied. I will arrange everything as you
would like." .
Mildrcd Violet walked home slowly. The
l
old life, with its constant trial and grief,
had passed. Deep in her heart was a won-
derful happiness. The dear, new name
rested like a benediction on her sunny
bend, and serene joy shone in evcry feature.
The next morning Miss Macdonald was
calling the roll, and the heart of one little
maid thumped violently. ‘
Jack Gordon, who sat behind her. bad
furtively caught the ends of her flaxen
braids, and was scc-sawing them back and
forth, whispering, “Sophia,” “Maria,” at
each alternate jerk.
The crisis was near. “ Emma IIill Jen-
kins, Ernest Frank Jcnnings, Everard
Jennings,” were responded to in quick suc-
ccssion.
"Oh, what shall I do when she ..-‘ays
“ It would be a lie to say ‘ resent,’ and if
I say that is not my nnmc-”
She did not have to think any more. for,
at that moment in walked her Uncle John
and the governor. ..
The latter spoke in a low tone to the
teacher, then turned to the scholars. Smil-
ing kindly, he said, “Thcre is it little girl
hero who used to be called ‘ Sophia Moria
Kimball,’ ” '
Excited, questioning looks were turned
toward the drooping, sunny and.
“This name was made quite unbearable
by the unkind jests and teasing of her
schoolmatrs. You would never have done
this, childrcn, if you had renlizcd how you
made that little gll‘llSL;EL‘l‘. I am [sure you
are sorry now nut ierc is .1 cmncc to
prove it. Her ’name nftr-r this is not to be
‘ Sophia Maria’ any more. We shall give
her permission to be called ‘ Mildred
Violet.’ Who will promise to let the old
name.drop, and never torment her about it
again?” ‘
Quickly every hand flew up, while ear-
nest faces showed their good faith. Then,
as if the prcsencc of the grcatfuiictioiiary
demanded the usual rccogmtion, there
broke forth, “Thrce chccrs for the "over-
nor!" And then, bonded by that arch” mis-
chief-maker, Jack Gordon. they gave
“Three chccrs for Mildrcd Violet!"
As the governor went out, he said some-
thing about having it nrrnngcd officially
late;', but that they could begin now getting
use: to it.
Miss Mucdonald smiled.
“Attention,” she said, “while I finish
the roll call. Alice May Jones. l-Elsie
Marion Kendall. Mildred Violet Kim-
all "
There was breathless silence. The name
was repeatcd, while eager, expectant looks
were turn:-d toward a bewildered little
maiden who sprung up, with joyful tears
in her deep blue eyes.
“Oh, it's me!" she cried. “ It's me for-
ever! I shall just have to be a be-a-u-ti-
ful girl to live up to that!’
“Yes,” said thc teacher, “that's your
part of the compact-to be as lovely and
sweet as your name!"
.
THE FRAGRANCE LINGEES.
A cluster of mlgnonette, small And unnotice-
nble us far as coloring is roncemcd, is equal
to filling a room with swcetncss. A drop of
attar of roses on 3 garmcnt will somctlmes
give it a fragrance which clings after the
fabric is worn and frayed by long use.
The largest things and the most showy are
not always the sweetest, nnd that fact should
be consoling to those of us who cannot hope
to do great deeds. We may never be able to
accomplish unythlmz which will tower heaven-
ward like a huge forest tree, but if there is
love back of our acts, they will help to
sweelcn the atmosphere of this world, and the
fragrance will llngcr, subtle yet strong. after
the deeds have bccome only memories.
‘Sophia Maria I(irnball’!" shc groancrl.,--
--.....-..